Has your weight changed significantly in a short period of time? Have you considered yourself overweight even when others told you the opposite? Does your weight strongly affect your self-esteem? Do you engage in behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or using laxatives? Do you often have episodes of uncontrolled eating?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “yes,” you may be dealing with an eating disorder.
Eating disorder is a collective term that encompasses various mental disorders. These disorders often involve abnormal eating behaviors. During this time, a person has an unhealthy relationship with food, weight, and body image.
Compared to other mental disorders, eating disorders are among the most dangerous and can significantly impact a person’s mental and physical health. There is a whole spectrum of eating disorders, and below we will discuss the three most common ones.
Three Most Common Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is characterized by severe restriction of food intake and intense fear of weight gain, even when the individual is underweight. The person experiences strong fear of gaining weight. They incorrectly perceive their body, which pushes them to constantly strive for thinness. Along with severe food restriction, excessive exercise is common. During anorexia, the menstrual cycle may stop (amenorrhea).
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia is characterized by uncontrolled consumption of large amounts of food. To prevent weight gain, after eating, the person engages in certain compensatory behaviors: vomiting, excessive exercise, or using laxatives. Unlike anorexia, the menstrual cycle is usually maintained.
Identifying someone with bulimia can be difficult because they typically maintain a healthy weight.
Binge-Eating Disorder:
In this eating disorder, a person quickly consumes large amounts of food to the point of discomfort. This behavior is related to coping with stress rather than hunger. Unlike individuals with bulimia, they do not engage in compensatory behaviors. All of this can lead to obesity or other digestive system problems. Also, after excessive food consumption, the person feels guilty. Due to feelings of shame and stress, quality of life is significantly reduced.
Treatment
Treatment of eating disorders is usually complex and includes various approaches:
Psychotherapy: For example, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people change harmful thinking and behavioral patterns. Family therapy can also be helpful, especially for adolescents.
Consultation with a nutritionist: Collaboration with a nutritionist is necessary to restore healthy eating habits and develop an individual nutrition plan.
Medical treatment: Eating disorders often present physical health problems that require appropriate medical supervision (e.g., dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, or organ damage).
Medication: In the case of eating disorders, medication treatment significantly increases its effectiveness.
Timely Intervention is Important
Eating disorders can pose a serious threat to life, which is why early intervention is often crucial.
If you (or someone you know) has signs of an eating disorder, it’s important to seek professional help promptly.
For recovery, timely intervention and multi-profile treatment are important.
Author: Mariam Shereshashvili
Editor: Elene Khomeriki, Guga Sikharulidze